Shipping crate



Nov. 1, 1938. A, L KI 2,135,401

SHIPPING CRATE Filed Feb. 16, 1957 Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping crates for packing baskets or tills of fruit, vegetables, etc.

It has for its object the provision of a crate so constructed that it may be vertically stacked with one or more similar crates without the possibility of forward or backward displacements of the crates of the stack and including means for securing adjacent crates together at their ends and preventing endwise slippage of the crates so that the entire stack may be lifted as a unit if desired by taking hold of the topmost crate without the risk of the crates slipping laterally in either direction.

Another object of the invention is to construct crates of the character described having hand holds in the heads and detachable resilient clips engaging the hand holds and the head of an adjacent cratefor securing the crates together.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connecting clip of cold rolled steel or itsequivalent which springs easily, but is not readily deformed and which functions in the act of placing it in position, to draw the crates intimately together avoiding looseness of the stack.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a stack of two crates embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longtiudinal cross section taken in the plane of the securing clips; and

Figure 3 is a transverse cross section viewed from the inside.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral I represents in general a crate, the preferred construction of which forms the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 102,410, filed September 24, 1936, consisting of the heads 2 and 3 preferably connected at their front and back by single side slats 4 and 5 at the top. These side slats are sufiicient to retain the baskets or tills in place, while the unobstructed space beneath gives ample room for display or inspection of the baskets. There are two longitudinal slats 6 and I placed as widely apart as possible along the top of the crate, the space 8 permitting unobstructed display of the major portions of the tops of the contents of the baskets. It is preferred to cover the baskets with a sheet of transparent acetate paper or its equivalent to protect the contents of the baskets from pilfering and from contamination.

The bottom of the crate is constituted by a plurality of longitudinal slats 9, the number of which slats is immaterial. In the present instance there are three spaced at such distance as to afford adequate support for the baskets or tills. The outer bottom slats are spaced apart at such a distance as to fit between the top slats 6 and 1 of an underlying crate when the crates are stacked. Thus the interfitting of the top and bottom slats of adjacent crates prevent forward and backward displacement of the crates while they are stacked. It is obvious that any number of crates may be tiered up into a stack.

In the preferred form of the invention, the heads 2 and 3 are provided with hand holds l0 and I I. These hand holds have the obvious purpose of facilitating the lifting of the crates particularly when stacked, but they have another function as will appear, in cooperation with the connecting clips by which the crates are united in the stack.

The hand holds are preferably made near the top of the head and near the bottom there is a thin slot l2 underneath the hand hold. It will be observed from Figure 1 that when two crates are stacked, the thin slot I2 of one and the hand hold of the other are in close adjacency, in position to receive the clip I 3 which bridges the space between the two crates, not only holding them against endwise shifting, but connecting them so that the stack can be raised as a unit by lifting the top crate.

The clip l3 in its preferred form is of cold rolled sheet steel or equivalent material which springs easily, but does not readily bend. The clip is formed with angular top and bottom flanges I 4 and I5 respectively. The depth of the top flange is unimportant. It is shown in Figure 2 as being of less depth than the thickness of the head 3. The bottom flange I5 has a depth equal to the thickness of the head and turns angularly upward forming a rear flange l6.

Itwill be understood that the clip is preformed and is not bent or deformed in placing, but simply sprung into place. The left hand side of Figure 2 shows the method of inserting the clip. The lower end is freely introduced into the hand hold of the underlying crate and the clip pulled upwardly until the rear flange l6 engages behind the upper edge of the hand hold. In doing thisthe clip naturally swings to the angular position shown, the top flange l4 confronting the thin slot l2 in an oblique manner. The top flange is then pushed into the thin slot l2 by hand, camming upon the lower side of the thin slot and drawing the two crates intimately together. When the clip I3 is fully in place as shown at'the right hand side of Figure 2, a nailis driven in, preferably adjacent the top flange I4 to hold the clip in place. The nail in the clip. I

It is obvious that regardless of the weight of the underlying crates, the nail keeps the top flange M from slipping out of the thin slot while the rear flange l6 retains the lower end of the clip within the hand hold. To separate the crates, it is necessary merely to insert a screw driver beneath the clip and pry out the upper end, bringing out the nail and simultaneously the top flange H. The lower end of the clip can then be freely removed from the hand hold. Sincethe clips are not bent in the act either of installing or removing they may be used over and over again any number of times.

It is not essential that the thin slots l2 be preformed in the heads of the crate. Consider for example, that the head 2 in Figure 2 be of solid wood instead of slotted at l2. With the clip in the position shown at the left hand side of Figure 2, it is'n'eoessary merely to strike a blow with a hammer on the upper portion of the clip to drive the top flange ll into the solid wood thus forming the slot in which the top flange is retained.

' While I' have described what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the inventive principle is sufliciently broad'to include many variations and structural departures from the specific embodiment herein disclosed. 7

hold is preferably-preformed What I claim is: i 1 v 1. Crate adapted to be unitarily stacked with one or more similar crates comprising opposite heads suitably connected by side and ,bottom one or more similar crates comprising opposite heads suitably connected by side and bottom members, each head having a hand hold near the top and a narrow slot near the bottom, and a metal clip bridging the line of contact between two vertically stacked crates, having angularly turned ends, one fitting the narrow slot of one crate and the other extending through the hand hold of the crate next beneath, said last named end being of sufficient width to extend to the inside of said head, and having an upturned flange engageable with the inner side ofsaid head.

3. Crate adapted to be unitarily stacked with one or more similar crates comprising opposite heads suitably connected by side and bottom members, each head having a hand held near the top, and a narrow slot near the bottom, vand a metal clip having a flat middle portion bridging the line of one fitting the said narrow slot of one crate the: other extending through the hand hold of the crate next beneath, said flat middle portion being providedwith a nail-hole for securing it against oneof said crates.

contact between two vertically stacked crates and having angularly turned ends,

ARTHURL. 

